Mechanism and system for conveying loose materials



July 29,- 1930. K. DAVIS 1,771,778

MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSEMATERIALS Filed May 28; 1924' 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 'K. DAVIS July 29, 1930.

MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed May 28 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BY DOM/w W A%RNEY July 29, 1930. v K. DAVIS 1,771,778

MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed May 28, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 M 2 INVENTOR July 29,1930. K. DAVIS 78 Q MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSE I WATERIALS 1 Filed May 28, 924 v SheetsSheet 5 INVENTOR 9 BY @7 v ATTOR ELY July 29, 1930." DAVIS 1 1 MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS I Fiied may 28, 1924 7-Sheets-Sh eet e July 29, 1930. K. DAVIS 1,

MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed May 28, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 M INVENTOR Patented July 29, 1930 PATENT OFFICE.

KENNETH Davis, F s'r. BENEDICT, FENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGIIOR .ro ,REMBRANDT" PEALE, RICHARD PEALE, AND REMBRANDT PEALE, JUNIOR, TRUSTEES, OF

nnnnnrcr, PENNSYLVANIA MECHANISM AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING LOOSE-MATERIALS Application filed May 28,

The invention relates to a system of co-operating conveyors, and to certain constituent parts thereof, and in certain of its aspects it relates more particularly to a Conveyor system adapted for use in the entries and rooms,

or equivalent parts or arrangements, of a coal mine. I i

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter, and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be ascertained through practice with the invention. V J

1 The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, herein referred to and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles thereof. 7

Of the drawings t Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a conveying mechanism embodying my invenion, and showing a room conveyor discharging into mine car in the entry and a con veyor actuating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showlng the other end ofv the room conveyor, that is, the inner or material-receiving end;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan corresponding generally to Fig. 1; t

1 is a diagrammatic plan showinga diiferent arrangement of conveyors, including a general entry conveyor,

Fig. 4* is a transverse sectional view, partly diagrammatic, showing an. arrangement of room conveyors discharging into an entry conveyor; i

Fig. 4 is adifl'erent arrangement of the same mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of the reversing mechanism for the cable actuator for the conveying system; r

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical, longitudinal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5; T

Fig. 7 is .a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical, longitudinal section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5

1924. Serial No. 716,323.

'Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, horizontal section on the line 99 of Fig. 6.

F ig. '10 shows the mechanism of Fig. 9 in a different position;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, vertical section taken substantially on the line 11--11 of Fig. 5 and v Fig. 12 shows the same mechanism as Fig. 11 in a different position.

The invention is directed to providing a novel and improved system of cooperating conveyors, in certain aspects especially adapted for use in the entries and rooms of mines, or in other forms of mining work, and it is especially directed to providing complete automatic handling and conveying of the coal from its shooting downer other dislodgment at the room face until conveyed, to a main entry, or for delivery at the foot of a slope or shaft, or even entirely from the mine. In connection therewith, the invention is directed to providing novel and f improved mechanisms and constructions in the conveyor proper, and in the actuating mecha "ni-sm therefor, and especially to providing a common actuating mechanism for a series of the conveyors.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated, by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the general structure of the inner or receiving end (Fi 2) and of the outer or discharging end (Fig. 1) of aroom conveyor, or other primary conveyor, is shown. In Fig. 2, the face 1 of a room is shown with a quantity of shot-down or otherwise dislodged coal 2. The roof of the vein is shown at 4, and the bottom rock at 5. The conveyor in many features of its general structure may be the same or similar to that shown in my Patent 1,440,84'8, dated anuary 2, 1923.

The conveyor comprises a bottom 12, adapted to lie on, or to'be supported near, the bottom of the vein. The conveyor has two up+ wardly and outwardly inclined sides 13 and 14, and is supported at various points along its length by suitable means, such as posts 15, which may be the usual roof supporting posts (shown with their bottom parts broken away in Fig. 2). The conveyor is preferablybuilt in interchangeable sections, so that sections may be taken off or added to a conveyor at will, as may be found efficient or desirable. l Vithin the conveyor are a plurality of preferably equally spaced-apart pusher blades 18, which practically fill the troughs transversely and are forwardly and downwardly inclined. These pusher blades are pivotally connected at 19 to the horizontallydisposed rods or bars 20, located above and reciprocable longitudinallyof the conveyor, whereby the blades are reciprocate'd to and fro. In their backward or idle motion, they slide or bump over the free materials in the troughs, and on the forward or working stroke they push the loose material forwardly along the trough. The mechaical details of this particular structure are not shown herein, but it is understood that they may be the same or similar to those shown in my patent mentioned above. V The pusher blades 18 are preferably spaced apart proportionately to the length of the sections of troughs and also, the driving mechanism for the pusher blades, indicated inthe drawings by the horizontally-disposed, longitudinally-reciprocating bars 20, may also be in uniform units corresponding to the same length. "Thus the conveyor trough is extensible in standard or interchangeable lengths, both as to the trough proper, pusher blades and the actuating mechanism therefor, as the face of the room advances.

The'actuating means for the pusher blade system, as herein embodied, comprises. a

the

Cable attached to the bar 20, or equivalent,

actuating means for the pusher blade system, and in Fig. 2 is shown a construction whereby frequent shifting of the guiding and reversing sheave 29 for the cable 30 is avoided. This is effected by adding sections or units of the conveyor trough, the pusher blades and actuating mechanism therefor, the rods 20 being adapted to roll freely upon rollers 33, mounted on any suitable support, such as the roof-supporting props or posts already referred to. Thus the work of extending the conveyor, as the working face ad-, vances, is greatly lessened and simplified, as

it is necessary to dismount. move and re charge into a mine car run on the track in an entry which has been shot down at the top. For this purpose the conveyor is inclined upwardly to have its outer end above the mine.

car to dischar e thereinto and to provide clearance therefor. This end of the conveyor is shown supported on cross beams 37, which are fixed on the corresponding roof supporting props 38. The actuating cable 35 is shown in Fig. 1 connected to the exterior end of the room conveyor, cable 30 extending to the inner end of the conveyor, as shown in Fig. 2. Both cables are actuated from the automatically-operating and automatically; reversing driving mechanism 36, which will be later described in full detail. I I

In Fig. 3 there is shown diagrammatically asystem of room'conveyors and an entry conveyor, all operating automatically, and discharging into mine cars 41 on the entry track 40. In this installation acommon automatically operating and automatically reversing driving means 36 is shown (which will be later describedin full detail). In this case, the cables 30 and 35 are not connected directly to any of the conveyors, but the driving engine 36 is located in the entry, and

the cables 30 and 35 extend along the entry and at their inner end pass about a supportlng andgmdmg sheave 4.2. As a matter of convenience butv one cable'may be employed,

running about the sheave 42, and with both ends fast to the winding mechanism of the driving means 36.

In room a the conveyor is shown with a cable 3O connected'to the main cable 30, and passing about the sheave 29 and connected to the actuating bars 20 of the room convcyor in the manner already described.

Likewise, the cooperating cable 35 is connected to the main entry cable 35, and to the conveyor mechanism, as shown 'in Fig. 1. The same arrangement is shown in rooms Z) and c. A. tributary conveyor is also shown conveying the dislodged coal from the crossout or break-through be into the conveyor in room 6. v

' In the entry (Z is a similar conveyor, operated by cables 30 and 35 in the same manner as already described. 7 Thus the shootingdown of the'entry top, or the shooting-up of the entry bottom, may bedone whenever convenient, and can be kept well back of the entry' face, without creating any inconvenien'ce, and likewise the construction of the entry car-track is independent of the advance of the face of the entry and can be kept well in the rear thereof.

It will be noted that the actuating cables for the various room conveyors and the entry conveyor are connected alternately in opposite relation to the main entry actuating cable 30 and 35, thereby distributing the load equally on both directions of travel of the main actuating cable and also thereby keeping the load uniform on the driving mechanism 36.

In Figs. 4, 4 and 1 3a complete automatic system of. conveyors extending across the room face, along the room and along the entry, are shown, and the system may ter- Ian minate in the main entry, or may be continned along the main entry to the slope or pit bottom or to the mine top or exterior.

. entry, and from thence is discharged into the entry conveyor. The systemis thus co'mplete and automatic from the room face to the foot of the mine or to theoutside if so desired. a

The room conveyors, or like tributary conveyors, may discharge into the entry con veyor, or other receiving conveyor, from ahigher level as shown inFig. a, or at the same level as shown in Fig. 4 lVhere the two conveyors are on the same level, as shown in- Fig. 49, one side of the trough 13 is cut away, as indicated at 13, for allowing one conveyor to deliver into the other. t will be noticed that in this system i} the cables are alternately disposed, so as to operate the 'difierent or'successive conveyors on the movement of the main cables in either direction, thereby balancing or rendering uniform the load on the cables and driving mechanism.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the driving mechanism for the actuating cables for the conveyor (Figs. 5 to :8), this mechanism is provided later described.

with a bottom plate 80, which may have sin-upturned. edge to form a grease or oilcatching pan. Mounted on the base is a motor 81, the motor shaft 82 having a hearing 83 in a gear-enclosing housing 841. Fixed to the motor shaft is a worm 85 (Figs. 5 and 8) meshing on its upper side with a: wormwheel 86, and on its under side with a wormwheel 87 which are thereby reversely driven by the worm 85, both worm wheels in this embodiment being incontinuous mesh with the worm 85.

The worm wheel 86 is mounted loosely to rotate on a shaft 90, which is jonrnaled in a bearing 91 in one side of the enclosing housing for the worm wheel, and at its opposite end is j-ournale-d 1n a bearing 92 in the enclosing housing 93 for the pinlon, to be In the embodied form ofmeans for alternately driving the cables in one direction,

there is fixed onithe hub of worm wheel 86 (Fig. 6) a clutch jaw 94:, fixed thereto by keys 95. I A cooperating clutch jaw 96 is splined on shaft so as tobe rotatable therewith but slidablethereon into and out of engagement with jaw 94-. For this purpose there is fixed to or integral with clutch jaw 96 a sleeve 97, encircling the shaft90 and having a feather or spline 98 between it and the shaft. Fixed on shaft 90 is a pinion 100, located within the housing 93, already referred to, this pinion meshing with a gear wheel 101, fixed by a key 102 on a shaft 103. Fixed also on shaft 103 is a cable-winding drum 104, provided with helically-arranged, cable-receiving grooves 105. The drum, is fixed on the shaft by means of keys 106, and the hubs of the drum are journaled at'107 and 108 on the machine frame.

In like manner the worm wheel 87 (Figs. 5 and 8) which is oppositely rotated from the worm 85, is loosely mounted for rotation uponthe shaft 118, which is journaledat 119, in the worm wheel housing, and atits opposite end is journaled at 120 in the housing for the pinion. In the embodied form of means for alternately driving the cables in the opposite direction, there is fixed to the I hub of the worm wheel 87 (Fig. 6) a clutch jaw 121, being fixed thereto by means of keys 122. A. cooperating clutch jaw 123 has a sleeve 12% encircling shaft 118, and connected thereto'by a spline or feather 125, so that clutch jaw 123 rotates with shaft 118 but is slidable thereon into and out of engagement with the clutch aw 121. Fixed on shaft 118 is a pinion 127, which meshes with the gear wheel 101 on the opposite side thereof from the pin 100, thereby alternately driving the gear wheel and the drum 10a in the opposite direction. i Means are .provided for alternately or alternatively throwing in and out the clutch jaws 96 and 123 from engagement with their respective cooperating clutch jaws 94 and 121, driven from the worm 85, which rotates always in the same direction, thereby to alternately reverse thedirection of rotation of the drum 10a, which'reverses the direction ofthe conveyor-actuating cables 30 and 35.

In the embodied form of such means, the sleeve 97 has formed therein an annular peripheral groove 130, and the sleeve 124i has a lilze'annular peripheral groove 131. A vertically-disposed lever 133 (Figs. 5, 6 and 7) is pivotally supported on a pin 134E, mounted Thus as lever 133 is rocked, one of the clutches is thrown in and the other .at the same time is thrown out, thereby reversing the direc- "ion of rotation of cable winding drum 104-.

In this embodied form of reversing mecha nism,*it is automaticallyoperated from the cables and 35, or from these two reaches of the endless cable.

Referring primarily to the mechanism actuatedorcontrol ed by the cable 30 5 to 8) a clip or lug 1 16 is fixed on the cable. The cable passes through an elongated slot 147, formedin the external arm1 r8 of a lever 149. This :lever is loosely pivoted on a pin 150 (Figs. 5 and 7), the lever resting on the top face of a horizontally-disposedpart 151 of a framepiece 152, and the pin passing through a corresponding aperture in the part 151. The pin is provided with a washer and cotter pin 153 above the lever to hold it in position. At its inner end (Figs. 5, 6, 7, 11 and .12), the lever 149 has twojaws or yoke arms 156 and 15?, which loosely em: brace the lever 133. Thereby when the lever 14-9 is thrown in one direction by the lug 1&6 engaging therewith, it will throw the lever 133 in one direction and thus reverse the clutch connections and therewith the direction of rotation of the cable-winding drum 10 i.

Referring now to the mechanism for actuating the reversing mechanism from the cable (Figs. 5 to 8), this cable is likewise provided with a clip (not shown) similar to the clip 146 on the. cable 30. This cable passes through a slot 168 in lever 169 (Figs.

5 and 7), which lever travels between guid ing plates 170. The lever 169 is pivotally supported on the pin 150'at the bottom end thereof, similarly to the mountin of the lever 1 19 at the upper end of the pin. The upper face of the hub of the lever bears on a horizontal part 171 of" the frame piece 152 and a washer and cotter pin maintain the pin 150 in position and partly support the lever. At'its inner end the lever is provided with pair of jaws or yoke arms 17 1. and 1'? 5 (Figs. 6, '7, 9, 10', 11 and 12), which loosely encircle the lower part of the lever 133,

hus, when the clip on cable 35 strikes the lever 169, the yoke arms 1% and 1Y5 will throw the lever 133 in the opposite direction from which it is thrown by the lever 169 and thereby will reverse the directionof rotation of the cable winding drum 10 1-.

Means are provided for insuring uniform action and for removing strain from the mechanism, and to actuate both levers from either cable oli As embodied (Figs. 7, 11 and 12), a lever 182 is pivotally mounted on a pin 183, supported in the frame piece 152. At the upper end thereof, lever 182 has a yoke end 18 1 which embraces lever 149. At its bottom end, lever 182 is provided with a yoke end 185, which embraces lever 169. Thus the clip on either'cable 30 or 35 is caused to positively swing both of the clutch shifting levers and in opposite directions.

Means are also preferably provided for insuring the mechanism being thrownfrom one extreme position to the other, that is, to prevent its stopping in neutral position or with incomplete engagement of the clutch jaws. As embodied, (Figs. 5, 7 and 8) a helical spring 190 is in compression and at one end thereof is supported on a pin 191 fixed to the frame and presses against a collar 188 fixed on the pin. At the other end thereof the spring is supported on a pin 192 fixed at 193 to the lever 169, and presses against a collar 189 fixed on the pin. This spring is disposed so thateach time the levers 149 and 169 are actuated, it is thrown from one side of its center, past the center, being thereby. compressed, to the other side of its center, being thereby again partly released. The spring will thereby act to throw the levers to the extreme end of their path in either direction and will insure the complete engagement of the corresponding clutch members.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the precise mechanisms, constructions and arrangements herein shown, but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. 1

What I claim is V 1. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of reciprocating conveyors located in the mine rooms and common actuating means therefor located in the entry, the room conveyors being alternately connected to the common actuating means to balance the load thereon.

2. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of conveyors having reciurocable material advancing means and located in the mine rooms, means for reciprocating said material advancing means, and common actuating means for said reciprocating means located in the entry, the room conveyors being alternately connected to the common actuating means to balance the load thereon.

, 3. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of conveyors having reciprocable material advancing means and located in the mine rooms, means for reciprocating said material advancing means, and common actuating means for said reciprocating means including reciprocating devices located in the entry, the room conveyors being alternately connected to the common actuating means to balance the load thereon.

1-. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors having reciprocable pusher blades therein and located in the mine rooms, means for reciprocating the pusher blades, and common 1 actuating means for said reciprocating means located in the entry, the room conveyors being alternately connected to the common actuating means to balance the load thereon.

5. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors having reciprocable pusher blades therein and located in the mine rooms, .ieans for reciprocating the pusher blades, and common actuating means for said reciprocating means including reciprocating devices located in the entry, the room conveyors being alternately ating means extending along and disposed transversely to the conveyors, the pusher blades of the various conveyors being connected to the actuating means in alternate relation to balance the load thereon.

7. A conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors arranged side'by side, a series of rcciprocable pusher blades in each conveyor, a cable con nected to the pusher blades in each conveyor to reciprocate them, and a common'a-ctuating cable connected to the various cables for the respective conveyors.

8. A conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors arranged side by side, a series of reciprocable pusher blades ineach conveyor, a reciprocable cable connected to the pusher blades in each conveyor to reciprocate them, and a common reciprocable actuating cable connected to the various cables for the respective conveyors.

9. A conveyor system including in combination a pluralitylof trough conveyors arranged side by side, a series of reciprocable pusher blades in each conveyor, a cable connected to the pusher blades in eachconveyor to reciprocate them, and a common actuating cable extending across the conveyors and connected to the various cables for the respective conveyors.

10. A conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors arranged side by side, a series of reciprocable pusher blades in each conveyor, a reciprocable cable connected to the pusher blades in each conveyor to reciprocate them, and a common recinrocable actuatin cable extending across the conveyors and connected to the various cables for the respective conveyors.

11. A conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors arranged side by side, a series of reciprocable pusher blades in each conveyor, a cable con nected to the pusher blades in each conveyor to reciprocate them, and a common actuating cable connected to the various cables for the respective conveyors, the cables being connected thereto in alternate relation to balance the load.

12. A conveyor system including in combination a plurality of trough conveyors arranged side by side, a series of reciprocable pusher blades in each conveyor, a reciprocable cable connected to the pusher blades in each conveyor to reciprocate them, and a common reciprocable actuating cable connected to the various cables for the respective conveyors, the cables being connected thereto in alternate relation to balance the load.

13. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of cable operated conveyors located in the mine rooms and common actuating means therefor located in the entry, the room conveyors being alternately connected to the common actuating means to balance the load thereon.

14. A conveyor system including in combination a plurality of cable operated trough conveyors located in separate mine rooms, a cable operated entry conveyor to receive dis charge material from the several conveyors, a distant operating means common to said conveyors for actuating all said conveyors andmeans for automatically reversing the operating means to move the conveyors to and fro along their paths.

15. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of cable operated trough conveyors located in separate mine rooms for discharging material at separated points into receiving means located in a transversely extending entry, and automatically operated and automatically reversing mechanism common to all the conveyors for actuating them.

16. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of cable operated trough conveyors'located in separate mine rooms for discharging material at separated points into receiving means located in a transversely extending entry, common means for moving the conveyors to and fro along their paths, and means for automatically re versing the conveyor operating means as the conveyors reach either end of their paths.

17. A mine conveyor system including in combination a plurality of cable operated trough conveyors locatedin separate mine rooms, a cable operated entry conveyor to receive dischargedmaterial from the several conveyors, conveyor operating cables for each of said trough conveyors, entry conveyor operating cables With which each of said first mentioned cables are operatively connected, and a reversible operating means in the entry and connected with said entry conveyor operating cables for operating all of said conveyors.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

KENNETH DAVIS. 

